Bedtime Stories
by Alitote
Summary: Thor spied a shadow moving in the darkness and approached it threateningly... then it whimpered as it scrambled backwards. "Loki?" The five year old asked the darkness. A small three year old with long dark hair and red rimmed green eyes crawled into the moonlight, holding his bear close to his chest and his blue blanket close to his side. It appeared the boy had been crying.
1. Chapter 1

Sleep was a whole other kind of adventure for a five year old. Dreams were grander, and more action packed than regular, daily life ever could be. The glorious battles were those Thor had been told every night before bed. Only in _his_ dreams he would be the most glorious in battle, rushing enemy front lines and tearing the toughest of opponents down. All without recieving a single scratch.

In the dreams, Thor was big and stong, gold flowing hair tossed in the wind. He wielded the broadest of swords, with a leather bound hilt caked with enemy blood.

He was just approaching the enemy leader, towering over everyone else as he cut down Thor's comrades one by one. Thor drew his sword, bringing the arm back to strike the final, glorious blow-

There was a _thud_ from somewhere in his room.

Thor's small blue eyes burst open, looking around his room for the disturbance.

His door was open a foot, it had not been like that when he first went to bed. He was sure of it, leaving the door open meant scary things could sneak in all the easier.

Something moved in the darker corner of the room, Thor jumped out of bed, tiny ham fists at the ready.

"Come out intruder! Face me like a man!" He whisper-called, trying to not let fear flash across his tiny five year old face as he prepared to deal with this monster.

The thing moving only scrambled backwards, further into the concealing dark. Thor pressed forward threateningly, or as threateningly as a five year old could, growling lowly like he'd heard the warriors tell him they had done as they entered a fight.

A small whimper issued from the dark, and Thor immeadiatly relaxed, sighing in relief and a little frustration.

"Loki?"

A small three year old child with long black hair and green eyes crawled out of the shadows, standing up and hugging a green bear to his chest. A small blue blanket was clamped tightly in his other fist, held close to his body. The little boy looked like he'd been crying.

"Another nightmare?" Thor asked and the dark haired boy nodded vigorously. Thor sighed, everytime Loki had a nightmare, thought he heard or saw something under his bed, or his nightlight whent out before he was asleep he ran to Thor's room. So, in reality, he was in here almost every night.

"Do you wanna sleep in here?" Thor asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. Loki nodded furiously and ran to the edge of Thor's bed, throwing the bear and blanket up on to it and then tried his hardest to pull himself on to the bed. He wasn't very successfull at it.

Thor finally took pity on the small toddler and picked him up, holding him up so that he could scramble up onto the bed.

"You know, there's a reason you have your own room." Thor said dryly, walking around and climbing on to the bed from the other side.

Loki wasn't listening, instead he climbed under the covers and snuggled up with his bear and blanket. He sighed happily and closed tired, tiny eyes.

Thor rolled his eyes, laying down and closing his eyes. He was lulled to sleep by the sound of his little brother's slow breathing...

That morning Frigga entered to take her son's to breakfast and stopped in her tracks upon seeing Thor's bed. She was surprised, although she really shouldn't have been, to see little Loki curled up next to Thor, one arm curled around Thors and the other clutching his bear, both were in a deep sleep.

Frigga crept to the side of Thor's bed, gently touching Thor's shoulder. Thor jerked awake, blinking tiredly at his mother.

"He sleep in here again?" She grinned at Thor.

Thor merely rolled his eyes and shrugged, "He woke me up for a nightmare."

Frigga "aww'ed" before walking over to Loki. She kneeled down and gently squeezed his arm.

Loki whimpered in protest of being awoken and turned to look at his mother.

"Good morning, do you know who's bed you're in?" Frigga asked sweetly.

"T'or's?" Loki asked, pointing at his brother who was watching with a dry amused look. This was becoming a morning routine with Frigga asking where Loki was and Loki saying he was in Thor's bed.

"Right. Now who's bed _should_ you be in?" Frigga asked. Loki was quiet, seeming to struggle with an answer.

"Uhmm... T'or's?" Loki tried. Frigga shook her head and Thor sighed.

"No Loki, you should be in _your_ bed." Thor said. Loki pouted.

"Fine." He mumbled, crossing his arms heatedly, something difficult to do with a bear wedged between his arm and his chest.

"Good, now," Frigga lifted Loki and his bear up and deposited him on the ground, "Let's go get day clothes on." Loki nodded quickly and ran out the door.

"You get dressed too. We're having breakfast with your father." Frigga said, grabbing Loki's blanket before walking out, "Don't worry, one of these day's he'll _stay_ in his own bed."

"Sure mom." Thor said, certain his little brother would be back that very night.

He wasn't. But he was back the next night. And the next, and the one after that...


	2. Chapter 2

The Stark Tower had long been the headquarters of the Avengers, something Tony Stark had done reluctantly after much prodding and threatening from Pepper and Fury (respectively). Everyone had their own room, bathroom, and walk-in closet included when they moved in. There was a communal kitchen, living room, and training area on the first floor of the Avengers section of the tower.

Thor slept on the top floor, one wall taken up by a window overlooking the city. Clothes, pizza boxes, chinese takeout cartons, and Mjolnir were strewn everywhere the naked eye could see. It came spilling out of the closet, the bathroom, and piled up in the farther corners of the room.

Thor lay spread out on the bed, mouth open and snoring loudly. The pillows and blankets smooshed around his body.

It was storming violently outside. Lightning flashed and a few seconds later thunder struck so loudly it woke Thor.

Thor snorted and looked around, his warriors sense telling him something was off.

A careful glance across his room showed nothing to be concerned about. But focusing on the darker corners Thor thought he saw something.

"Loki?"

Loki lay huddled against Thor's closet door, asleep.

Thor got up and crossed the room and gently shook Loki until he awoke.

"What?" He asked tiredly.

"What are you doing here? If the Avengers or the Man of Fury finds you here-"

"They won't." Loki said simply, getting up and getting into Thor's bed. He pulled the covers up to his chin and Thor watched him try to discreetly remove something from his coat. He hugged the mysterious object close to his chest under the covers.

Thor was confused for a moment before the memories clicked into place and he realised what was going on here.

"Aren't you a little old for this?" Thor asked.

"Shutup." Loki snapped tiredly, pulling the covers over his head. Thor sighed in frustration, running a hand over his face.

"One night. That is all Brother. This is not going to be a regular thing like so long ago." Thor said sternly. Loki nodded from under the covers, eyes already closed. Thor crossed over to the other side of the bed and laid down, ready to wake up and realise this was a dream.

* * *

"Hey Thor get up! We're all gonna go get-What the hell?" Tony exclaimed after barging into Thor's room that morning. Not only was he amazed at the amount of Midgardian junk food waste laying scattered around the floor, but none other than _Loki_ was curled up next to Thor. And both were fast asleep.

Tony slowly crept backwards out of the room, jumping every time Loki moved or twitched.

* * *

There was a snap as something was attached to something and Loki awoke. He turned, bleary eyed, to see five figures standing over the bed.

Loki sighed and tapped on Thor's face. Thor awoke, turned, and shrugged.

"Go easy on him, he's fragile." And thus, Loki was left to defend himself.

"Uuuhhh... avoid the face?"

"Hey guys? What's that green thing?" Hawkeye grinned, pointing at a green toy under Loki's stomach.

"Nothing." Loki said quickly, trying to hide it.

"Get him!"

Thor snored peacefully.


End file.
